All The Latest On The "UK Disneyland"

A new theme park known as the "UK Disneyland" is due to open in five years' time, according to reports. Sure, it's a long way off, but by the sound of things it'll be worth it. The Paramount theme park will be built in Dartford, in Kent – an hour’s drive from London – and will open in 2022. It's set to be the first of its kind in the UK.

The park will showcase more than 50 rides and attractions, a 2,000-seat theatre with regular “West End quality shows”, a large exhibition space and restaurants. The cost of all this? A mere £3.5 billion, Essex Live reported. It will feature themed areas based on different Paramount films, dubbed Adventure Isle, Land of Legends, Cartoon Circus, Starfleet Command, Action Square, Port Paramount and Entertainment City. Some of Paramount’s most well-known films include Titanic, Forrest Gump, Mission: Impossible, the Transformers series and Iron Man.

There will also be rides based on shows from BBC Worldwide and Aardman Animations. Might we suggest a Doctor Who rollercoaster and a Wallace and Gromit ride? Just a thought.

The park is expected to attract up to 40,000 people per day but entry won’t be cheap, with a full-price one-day entry ticket due to cost £57, reported Essex Live.

The plans haven’t been approved yet, but London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH), the group behind the project, is confident the government will give them the green light when they’re submitted in November. If approved, building will start in 2019.

Humphrey Percy, group CEO of the project's parent company Kuwaiti European Holdings, said “world class theme park design companies” were involved to ensure it’s “a real attraction”. “I'm talking about companies that have their headquarters in California and support the major film studios and attractions across the world," he said.

"We will make sure that this experience is for the whole family. It's going to be a very amazing and exciting thing for them," he added.

We've never really bothered to challenge the Yanks on their claim over the theme park, have we? Sure, the first cars we drove were at Legoland and we lost our shark tooth chokers on Tidal Wave, but, with the British weather and temperament, we've just never really been down with the whole laser light show, spinning tea cup, wave-at-Mickey life that seems standard with all American amusement parks. Take Banksy's Dismaland or the news this week that cranky, out-of-date attractions have been allowed to run at Alton Towers. Hmm, maybe it's time to redress the balance with our very own Disneyland?

Drum roll, please. London Paramount has announced plans to build a "world-class theme park" that will attract 40,000 visitors a day, and could open as soon as 2021. Bigger than the Olympic Park and racking up a cost of £2 billion, the park, located between Gravesend and Dartford in Kent (only an hour away by car from London) would be the first park of its kind in the UK. It's being funded by Kuwaiti European Holdings, a business that's owned by the Al-Humaidi family, whose assets include Ebbsfleet United FC in Kent. What we do know beyond this is that London Paramount have signed a licensing deal with Hollywood studio Paramount Pictures and it will be Hollywood-themed (wolf whistle). They're also promising a range of hotels, an arthouse cinema, and nightclubs that will host "West End" standard entertainment. There will be a new dual-carriageway exit built to facilitate the park, but public footpaths and cycle routes are also being built along the River Thames. Sevenoaks District Council have also speculated the park could generate 27,000 new jobs. We cannot wait for the promo footage...